


Black and White

by RoseAkantha



Category: Black and White - Fandom
Genre: Corruption, Drama, MindTalking, Multi, Romance, powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-24 01:47:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16171091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseAkantha/pseuds/RoseAkantha
Summary: Valentina thought she would never get her color, not in a world where you have to meet your soulmate to have color. At 25, she was certain that soulmates didn’t exist. Soon though, she’s thrown into her soulmate and realizes it’s nothing like she ever thought. It’s much worse. After she gets past what she thinks is the hardest thing in her life, she finds out everything she’s been told, is a lie. Who can she trust?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this book for my friends early in 2018. They pushed me to publish it but I wasn’t done and I wasn’t getting enough feed back to know if it was any good or if not, what was so bad about it. I started reading on here and decided that publishing it here, is the smartest thing to do. I’ve loved creating these characters and I will continue this story. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

The world is black and white. Now, you might think I’m just being melodramatic but literally, the world is black and white. There is no color in this world, just the shades between ink black and pure white. Some people do have color, anyone who has found their “soulmates”  but, I think it’s baloni. Soulmates don’t exist, they were made by lonely people to have hope. 

 

There is no hope. 

 

Not for this world anyway. The world is plunging slowly into darkness or lack of food or technology is taking over or ALIENS! So, no one is really sure what is going on but, I KNOW it’s the aliens. The government is trying to keep it from us but only so much can be covered up. Glimpses of threats come in from Tyania, which is across the world, but quickly taken down. 

 

Beep Beep Beep! 

 

Groggily hitting the snooze button, I groan and roll over until, my phone’s alarm goes off too.  _ Ugh, I wish for once it wouldn’t go off.  _ Getting up, I get dressed into my city-mandated clothes. A pair of pants and a nice dress shirt, same work clothes for both genders. The government likes to say that no one is more important than the others. The only thing that is different is the bracelet I always wear. It has a crescent moon with a little heart at the tip of it. My favorite thing I own.  I get ready to leave, making sure not to look at the mirror.  _ Why look in the mirror when I know I won’t like what I see?  _ Leaving out the door, I realize how late I am. _ Valentina, how do you do this almost every day? _

 

After sprinting to my work, and still being late, I realize my day plans are sitting on the counter at home.  _ Why me? Why do I always do this? _

“Why do you always do what?” Axel says, nearing me.

“Did I say that last part out loud?”

“Yeah, you did. Now, what did you do?” 

 

Axel is my boss and best friend. He isn’t bad looking, he’s actually pretty handsome but like everyone else, he’s only in shades. I never look too deeply at people, they all have the same colors so it doesn’t matter.

 

My face blushes, which would be okay with anyone else but, Axel already got his color. “I left my day planner at home and I can’t remember what my job is today.” 

“Oh that’s nothing! You’re in charge of the new guy. He is waiting to be picked up right now.”

“Perfect! I’ll be on my way, just tell me the address.”

“Well since I was in charge of assigning this to you, I took the liberty of sending you to ‘The Hellish Frog’. You’re welcome!” He says, handing me a piece of paper.

“I freaking hate you! You know big crowds freak me out.” 

“Yeah well your 25 and still haven’t even met your soulmate so, get out there! I’m just helping you find the lucky guy, Val.” 

Walking out I roll my eyes and start my trek to ‘The Hellish Frog’, hoping no one will be there, it is 11 am.

 

Getting there, I realize how wrong I was. The line is so long I can’t see the end of it. Looking at the paper, I see Axel’s horrible handwriting.  _ You think if you wrote for a living your pen skills would be so much better!  _ On the paper it says “The guys name is Vincent, he’s waiting at the bar. If you go to the front of the line, you can just walk in. I paid them off for you! Have fun ;)”  _ God I hate him. _ Setting myself up for embarrassment, I walk in.

 

Inside is worse than outside, if that’s even possible. Everyone is stuck, pushed up against each other. The whole place smells like a sweatshop but no one seems to care.  _ This place is huge! How are there so many people? It’s bigger than the football stadium which means I’ll never find the bar. _ Realizing this, I start asking around. I get lazy points and annoyed looks but, stumble upon it eventually. Realizing I have no clue what Vincent looks like, I flag down a bartender. His name tag says  _ Zeke. _

“Hey, do you happen to know of a Vincent?”

“Why yes! Let me get him for you!”

“Okay, thank you so much!”  _ Wow, that went much better than I thought it would. I can just grab him and go without too much hassle. _

Another bartender walks over to me, “Hello!”

Awkwardly looking at him I shift away slightly, “Umm… hello? Sorry, do I know you?”

“Oh I’m sorry! Pardon my manners, I’m Vincent and you must be Valentina.” 

 

_ Oh my god, this is Vincent? I didn’t even realize! This is so embarrassing.  _ “Oh, I am so sorry. I didn’t realize that you looked like that. I wasn’t told who I was looking for and I didn’t even want to come! Not because of you, I’m just scared of big crowds and I just don’t want to be here…” As I continue to ramble on, digging myself a bigger grave, he hands me a drink.

“Not a big deal! Mistakes happen, but that blush creeping up your neck tells me you think otherwise.” 

Choking a bit on my drink I say, “Oh you found your soulmate?” 

“Yeah, I am 26. You’ve met yours right?” 

_ Of course he met his! Your the only 25 year old who hasn’t.  _ “No, I don’t get out much. As I said, big crowds sort of scare me. Anyway, do you think we can go?”

“Of course! I’m sorry to keep you waiting, let’s go.” Vincent says, guiding me out of the back exit, into the alley.

 

When we get back to ‘Bingle’, my office buildings, Axel takes Vincent. I work for the rest of the day as I would normally do, then I go home. Getting there, I realize how exhausting that was and go straight to bed. 

 

The screech from the neon red clock wakes me from my dreamless sleep. I hit the snooze and snuggle into my green blanket until my other alarm chimes. Shutting it off, I get up and rush out my door, determined not to be late again. Rushing out the door, I barely even notice that it’s neon green.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

On my way to work, I look around, taking in all the colors.  _ This is so amazing! How did I ever live without this? _ Suddenly I stop, remembering 2 fundamental truths at the exact same time. The first one is that I still have no clue who my soulmate is, I’ve met a lot of people. Thinking more about the second one, I realize this must be a fluke. If you meet your soulmate, the color comes instantly but, I didn’t meet anyone this morning and there was no color last night.  _ It must be another torture this world has pressed upon me. Like I’ve always said, soulmates aren’t real.  _ I stop, wondering how this could happen.

 

When I finally get to work, Axel stops me. I never really looked at him but he looks much better with color. He has such black hair, I almost think my color is gone again. His ice blue eyes remind me that my color is there, nestled right into his skinny head. Axel has a very tan complection and a small nose set right into the middle of his face. 

“Why are you late again? I know it’s been hard ever since your parents but, you have to be here on time!”

“I know I know!” Suddenly I realize I  **can** see color and I want to test it, “You know, you are such a nice guy. Your husband is a really lucky person.”

Even though we have been friends since birth, the blush creeps up his neck. “Umm thank you? I’m slightly confused.” Axel says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Aww, the blush creeping up your neck is adorable!”

The blush darkens and then his face goes white, “Wait, can you see my blush! You met your soulmate?!” 

“Well yes and no… I’m not sure who it is, I met a lot of people recently because of you.” I say, glaring at him, “The other problem is that it came this morning, but the last person I met was Vincent yesterday.” 

“I’ve heard about this! Sometimes someone can cause their color to come later by suppressing it, you must have done that. All you ever say is that soulmates aren’t real!” 

“Yeah that makes sense but, who would it be? Vincent already met his soulmate, he sees in color.” Saying this makes me believe it’s just a fluke.

“All you have to do is say something to your soulmate for the color to come. Must have been someone you met at ‘The Hellish Frog’. All you do is say ‘Sorry’ and ‘Excuse me’ to people!”

“Yeah but the only real conversation I had was with Vincent!” 

 

Realizing that was said a bit too loud I hear, “Not to eavesdrop but, what about me?” 

Looking at him, I realize that he looks worse for the wear. I don’t want to intrude but before I can stop my curiosity I ask, “Hey, what happened to you? You don’t look so good…” 

“Oh, umm nothing. Just something in my personal life.” Sadness takes over his face right before he changes the conversation. “I’m curious why my name was in your conversation.” 

Knowing that I should test my theory, I hold up the rose gold pen in my hand, “What color is this?” Axel gives me a side glance but I brush him off, listening for Vincent’s answer.

“Oh, it’s…”

Before he can answer, Axel rudely cuts in, “Please get to work. I don’t pay you to sit around!”

“Well technically you do, that is all we do here.” My mouth is slightly open to say those exact words but, Vincent beat me to it.

Axel rolls his eyes and walks away, chuckling to himself. Vincent leaves, giving me a small smirk as he does.

  
Walking back to my office square, I grab the brightest cup and get water.  _ Even the water looks so much better with color! Everything is just so beautiful. _ Working comes to be the most difficult task. All I want to do is look at the pretty colors but I’ve been late everyday and Axel can’t give me the day off. Who else would make sure people get all the information about how the government is lying to us? At least we get weekends off, more than most jobs can say.  _ Wait, tomorrow is Saturday! That means I can start looking for my soulmate. I wonder what he looks like, hopefully he’s cute. I’ll make Axel come with me. _ The next day, I was determined to find my soulmate, even if I have to go to ‘The Hellish Frog’.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sun peeks through the window, waking me up. All the color makes me overwhelmingly happy. This is the happiest I have been since my parents and I’m not going to waste it. I jump out of bed and make myself the best breakfast, made of pancakes and bacon. After eating, I blast my favorite music and dance around the house, loving everything I see. 

 

Stopping just on the side of the mirror, I peek around the corner for a split second then, pull my head back. Getting curious, I take a longer look at myself but, pull away again. Working my nerves up, I step in front of the mirror and take in all my features, realizing how different I look. 

 

My chocolate brown hair is down to my knees, not having been cut since I was 12. My frame is way too skinny for all the food I eat and my legs are just a bit too long. My favorite part though, are the humongous bottle green caps peering out. My nose looks slightly too big for my head and my face is just a bit too skinny.

 

Eventually, I grab my phone to call Axel.  _ I hope he’s not busy, if I’m going to ‘The Hellish Frog’, I don’t want to go alone. _

Picking up on the fifth ring I hear a groggy, “Hello?”

“Hi! Are you busy today? I want to try to find my soulmate and I can’t do it without my bestie!” I make sure to whine the last sentence, hoping to guilt him.

“I would love too but, me and the husband have plans. Hopefully you find the guy though! Actually, how long will you be at your house for?”

“Umm, another hour why?”

“Perfect! Okay, well good luck! Bye now.” With that, he hangs up, not even waiting for me to respond.  _ Wow, what a jerk. _

 

Jumping in the bath, I try to forget I’m about to go into big crowds by myself. Starting to freak out, I blast the music as loud as I can and sing along. I had been in the bath for about 30 minutes when my music stops playing.  _ Of course this would happen. Finally feeling better and then… _ my thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door.

 

Wrapping myself in a towel, I walk to the door and throw it open.

Vincent is standing there with his head down,“Hey, I was told you needed my….” Looking up, he realizes I’m in a towel and his face blushes. “Oh my, I am so sorry. Did I come at a bad time? Of course I did, I’ll just go.” 

Without a hint of embarrassment I exclaim, “No, it’s really okay! Come in, come in!” 

Slowly walking in, he thanks me and I lead him to the couch. “Stay here, I’m going to change really quick and I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

 

Going into my room, my chest starts fluttering.  _ Why is he here? Why is he making me so nervous and where did I get the confidence from?  _ Throwing on a big flannel and leggings, I walk back out to Vincent, hoping not to look like I just threw things together.

 

When I get to the living room, I take in all of Vincent’s features. His pink lips are curled up into a smirk and his cognac eyes are glowing with happiness. The 5 o’clock shadow he has looks really nice on his structured face, offsetting his muscled body. I can tell that he is about 6 inches taller than me, which is unusually tall. His dirty blonde hair is short and untamed, flying everywhere.

 

Sitting down, I don’t stop my curiosity, “So, why are you here?”

Sitting right next to me he explains, “I was told you needed help… Do you not need my help?”

“Who said that?” As soon as I say it, I realize who told him. “Was it Axel! I’m going to kill him.”

“Yes, he said that you were about to do something and he couldn’t be here to help. He said you asked for me specifically.. You didn’t ask for me did you?” A glimpse of hope crosses his face.

“No, I didn’t.” As I say this, I watch his features. Seeing sadness cross his face is heartbreaking. I just want to help get the happiness back. “I am about to do something that I would love you to help me with.”

“Really?” The happiness spreads before he schools it back, “If you don’t want me too, it’s okay. I understand, sometimes things happen.”

“No, it’s okay! I really do want your help!” Realizing I have grabbed his hands, I release them and stand to hide my blush. 

Trying to change the subject, he inquires, “Soooo what do you need my help with?” 

“Oh yeah. So, a couple days ago I got my color but I’m not sure who my soulmate is. The last place I met people was at ‘The Hellish Frog’ so we should probably start there.”

“Okay, sounds good to me. One question, how did you not notice that you had color?”

“I got it the morning after because I suppressed it. My motto is ‘Soulmates aren’t real’ so that probably helped.”

“Oh okay…” As he says that, I can tell he isn’t saying what he wants to. 

 

Ignoring it, I lead him out the door and we start walking to ‘The Hellish Frog’. We don’t talk the whole way there, the air between us growing awkward. 

 

When we get there, my breath catches in my throat and I can’t breath.

The first words I hear since we left are, “Are you okay?” 

Trying to breath I look at him, the fear on his face makes my heart melt. Suddenly, the fear is gone and replaced with a blank slate.

Finally I cough out, “Yeah, I’m good. Just, you know, afraid of big crowds.”

“Oh yeah! When you decide you want to leave, tell me and I can get us out super fast. Unfortunately, you picked one of the busiest times so, there will be a lot of people. Do you have a pass to get in?”

_ I totally forgot I needed that! Shoot! _ “Umm no… We mind as well go home, no way we can get in there.”

“Actually, I have 2 passes. I got them for me and my… umm nevermind. The point is, we can use them.” Watching, I can’t read him.  _ He’s really good at controlling his emotions. _

“Are you sure you want to use them on me? I’m sure I can figure something else out!”

“Honestly, I would rather use it on you than anyone else.” An emotion I don’t know crosses his face. As if it’s an afterthought he adds, “You know, to find your soulmate!”

“Sounds good, Let’s go!”

 

Getting in was super easy with Vincent’s pass but he was right, there is a lot of people in here. I start to hyperventilate.  _ I’m never going to get through this! We should just leave now. _ Suddenly, there is a hand in mine, leading me through the crowd. My mind slows down and my breathing goes back to normal.  _ Why does he do this to you? He has a soulmate and you have a soulmate. It’s just because he’s a new friend. Yeah that’s it, you just don’t have many friends. _

 

He leads me through the crowds and I pick out the people I talked to when I was here. I may not like big crowds, but I can remember a face really well. Our conversations are short. We ask if they have color and if they know who their soulmate is. If they say yes to both, we move on. If they say no to both, we move on. 

“So no one has color without a soulmate. Maybe I’ll never find mine.” Sadness crosses my emotions.

“Hey, we will find your soulmate.”

“But we have talked to everyone I remember and still nothing!”

“There must be someo…” He’s cut off by another guy.

“Vincent! How are you? Guess what!” As the guy talks to Vincent, I step aside, pretending not to listen.

“What is it Zeke?” Vincent sounds interested.

“I got color yesterday morning!”

“You did? Man that’s amazing! Who’s the lucky lady?”

“That’s the problem, I don’t know who she is yet.”

From here I can see Vincent’s face go white as he looks at me, “Well, what if I told you, I know who your soulmate is?”

“How do you know? Actually, I don’t care. Who is she?” 

“Valentina, come here please!” I can hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Walking forward, I take a good look at Zeke. He has auburn hair that swoops to the side, perfectly styled. His lime green eyes are like tiny slits, sitting deep in his head. His face is slightly round and his body isn’t very muscled. He is just barely taller than me, the perfect height.

 

Standing across from him I say, “Hi.” 

“Hello.” Looking around me he says, “Are you sure she is my soulmate?”

Vincent, who had stepped off to the side, walks over to us. “Well there is one way to find out!”

“Oh yeah!” As Zeke says this, he launches himself at me.

“What are you doing!” throwing my fist at Zeke, I hit him squarely in the jaw. 

Pulling back, I see that there is a nicely sized burn on him where my fist was. “Ouch! That freaking hurt!”

“Oh I am so sorry! Did I do that, I didn’t mean too! It’s your fault, you scared me!”

“That was the point. If a person burns you out of fear or anger, they are your soulmate. It’s actually really cool. I am sorry for scaring you I just had to test it.”

“Okay, I guess I won’t be too mad at you but, you owe me something.”

Vincent suddenly looks awkward, “Hey, I’m going to go. Have fun you two love birds. Hope it’s everything you want.”

He walks out without another glance backward and I feel kind of bad but, my soulmate is finally with me. 

Zeke grabs my hands, “So what do I owe you?”

“You owe me a date. We haven’t had all the time others have so, you owe me that.”

“Sounds good to me! I’ll pick you up tonight at 7, okay?”   
“Yeah but, why can’t we right now?”

Something flashes in his eyes but, is gone quickly, “I have to work, I get off at 6 and I’ll be there at 7. Be ready.” As if it’s an afterthought he says, “What’s your favorite flower?”

Suddenly, I am excited for tonight, “Dandelions! See you at 7!”

With that, I walk through the crowds home, without so much as a glance around.

 

As soon as I get home, I call Axel.  _ I hope him and his husband are done with their thing. _

Axel’s voice through the phone proves he’s not busy. “Yes, Valentina?”

Using the saddest voice I can muster, I pout, “We didn’t find him. Do you think you can come over?”

“I am so sorry! I will be over soon, hot chocolate sound good?”

“The snickerdoodle kind please.”

“Okay, I’ll be over soon!” The phone clicks and I start dancing, happy to be getting hot chocolate.

 

Sitting on my couch, waiting for Axel, I hear the door bust open.

“Okay, Okay I’m here! The line at Stuckbucks was really long.”

Sitting next to me, he sees the smile plastered on my face, “I thought you would be more upset about this…” Suddenly, it hits him, “You lied to me to get Stuckbucks! I hate you so much! Do you know how much cuddle time I gave up! Huh, do ya! No, you don’t or else you wouldn’t have lied!”

I grab his face in my hands, something we do to make eachother focus, and start talking, “I wanted to say this to you in person,” Letting go of his face, I continue, “I found my soulmate! His name is Zeke and we are going on a date at 7 tonight!”

Practically flying off the couch he exclaims,“Well, we need to get you ready then!”

“It’s only 4! I usually don’t get ready till 30 minutes before, this is ridiculous.”

Looking at me, he cringes back, “Yeah but, we need a lot of time to fix..” He gestures toward me, “That.”

Chasing him, we end up in my bedroom. As soon as I walk into it, I’m tackled onto the floor.

“Now, I am going to pick out a couple outfits for your date and YOU will try them on! Got it?”

“Yes sir, I get it. Just get off me, your super heavy.”

Getting up, he snides, “No I’m not, your just super weak.”

I chuck a pillow that has fallen from the bed at him, hitting him squarely in the back. He chuckles as he walks into the closet. For a minute, everything is still then, shirts and pants start flying out of my closet.

“Jeez! Do you not have any dresses?”   
Carefully, I inch closer to the closet, “Not really, I never had a need for them.”

“Didn’t you wear a dress to your graduation or something like that?”   
“Umm no, I wore a tuxedo.”

“Of course you did! Why can’t you be normal for once?”

“If I was a boring normal person, I would be just like you!”

Stepping out of the closet, he throws a dress at me, “Hah! What’s that?”

I hold it out from me, examining it. There is a floral print and a big brown stain right in the middle of it, “A really old thing that I have no intention of wearing.”

Axel rolls his eyes, “Fine, let’s go then.”

  
“What? Where are we going?”

“To the dress shop but, we have to be super fast. It’s already 5.”

“Ugh!”

“Oh boo hoo for you but, you need to look nice on your first date.”

Axel grabs my hand and leads me out the door.

 

We walk as fast as we can, hoping to get there within 30 mins.  _ I wish the government hadn’t banned cars, we could have been there in 15 mins instead of 30. I think the last time I was in a car was my parents…  _ I stop mid step and Axel gives me a look. My eyes are wide as I stare at him and he seems to get it. Grabbing my arm, he pulls me along and distracts me with colors. 

 

Finally we get there, only wasting 20 minutes. Immediately as we walk in, my eyes are assaulted by dresses of all colors.  _ This is going to be a nightmare.  _

Axel drags me to a changing room with a bench, “Wait here. I’m going to get you a bunch of dresses and you will distract me if you come.” As soon as he says it, he sprints down an isle.

 

I sit for about 10 minutes before I become impatient. Looking around, a dress catches my eye. The dress is knee length with sleeves that would go down to my elbows. The top is red and reminds me of a fancy coat old people usually wear. The bottom is black and fans out a little, with a belt separating the two colors. Grabbing it, I change into the dress, put on a long coat and wait for Axel to come.

A familiar voice comes from behind me, “Didn’t think I would see you here!” 

Turning around, I see that it’s Vincent, “Hello! We seem to keep bumping into each other.”

  
“Yeah we do! What are you here for? You don’t seem like a dress kind of girl.”

  
“I’m not but, since I have my first date, Axel is making me get one.”

“Sounds like him!” Chuckling to himself he adds, “Find any yet?”

“Actually yes! Axel hasn’t gotten back yet and I want another opinion.” Dropping my coat I look at him, hoping to get a good reaction. His face is peer amazement.  _ Man, he must really like this dress. Maybe I can convince him to get it for his soulmate! _

Picking up my coat I question, “Do you like it?”

“Yeah, I really do.” He sounds out of breath.

“You should get it for your soulmate then! It would be a great present, I’m sure it would make her happy.”

Suddenly, his face goes blank, “Yeah she probably would. Anyway I got to go, goodluck on your date.” 

He walks away and I’m left waiting for Axel alone.  _ What was that all about? Maybe he didn’t actually like it.  _

“Okay Okay, I found about 10 dresses before I was told to quit taking them all. I want you to try them on and then we will start eliminating.”

“Axel, I found this really pretty dress.” I take the coat off and show him, “Can I wear this one?”

“It’s cute and all but not really first date.” I put on my pouty face and he melts, “If you get a different dress for your date, I’ll buy you this one too, okay?”

“Okay!” I grab all the dresses and change into the first one, forgetting all about my meeting with Vincent.

 

We go through dress after dress. I try and retry them on until we come down to the last one, which isn’t that bad. It’s a simple black dress that sits halfway between my knees and hips. It has corset looking lace up the front of it and a triangle hole in the back.

“This looks amazing on you!” Axel wraps me into a hug, “Zeke will be so happy!”

“At least I get my dress!” 

Rolling his eyes, we pay and walk out of the shop. We wasted an hour there so, we need to get back fast. Only 40 minutes until my date!

  
  


We get home in 20 minutes and Axel starts to do my hair.

“So, I’m going to leave your hair down except for this little braid crown at the top okay?”

“Sure, I don’t really care.” I say shrugging.

“Of course you don’t! Can I do your makeup?”

Shoving him, I exclaim, “No! You know I don’t even own makeup!”

He snickers, “Just wanted to make sure you still had your fire. You let me get you two dresses, I was a little scared.”

“Whatever loser!”

“Shut up, jerk!”

 

Axel gets my hair done in 20 minutes. I get my dress on and am ready to head out the door at 6:55. At 7:00 Zeke shows up, holding colorful dandelions, my favorite flower.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As soon as I step out of my house, the crisp night air goes up my legs. Shivering, I realize I left my coat in the house, “I am so sorry to ask this but,  I left my coat in the house. Do you think we can go back?”

Zeke turns to me with a tight lipped smile, “No, we don’t want to be late for our reservation.”   
“Yeah but, we barely left the house. It won’t take too long, I promise.” I turn to go back for my coat but Zeke grabs my arm, hard.

“We. Will. Be. Late.” Letting go of my arm, he takes a breath, “It’s a super fancy place and they will give away our seats. Come on.”

My body is still shaking and not just from the cold. “Okay.”

Walking side by side, we make our way to the restaurant. Zeke refuses to tell me where we are going and I don’t want to press him.  _ He must just be in a bad mood today. Everyone has those days, it will be okay.  _

 

Finally, we get to where Zeke wants to go. It definitely looks fancy, it is completely covered in sparkling white lights. People in elegant dresses and tuxes walk in. 

Gripping onto Zeke’s arm, I inquire, “Wow, this place is super fancy! We’re eating here?”

“Yep! The fanciest place for the hottest girl in the world!” He announces, smirking.

My eyes widen as we walk up.  _ He’s the first man to ever call me hot. Zeke is so much better than I could ever hope.  _ We get in to the restaurant and sit. As I examine the menu, I learn it’s called Dominique’s and that all they serve is expensive food. Realizing I don’t really know what any of this stuff is, I get the steak.  _ It’s really expensive but it’s the only thing I know. _

 

A waiter walks up, ready to ask for our order, “What may I get you this evening sir?”

Zeke puts his hand to his chin, stroking an invisible beard, “I would like Scallop Sashimi with Meyer Lemon Confit.”

Turning to me, the waiter asks, “And you Madam?”

“Oh, umm…” Starting to play with my bracelet, I finally answer. “The Filet Mignon please.”

“Okay, coming right up!” With that, he quickly walks away.

 

After he leaves, I look at Zeke. He is staring straight at me and I clear my throat. Zeke doesn’t stop so, I start talking.

“Hey Zeke, what’s your favorite color and why?”

He startles, quickly composing himself he says, “Green because it is the color of life.”

 

“Wow, that’s really nice. My favorite color is blue because it symbolizes leaving. Getting away and being able to continue, going on and on forever. Just like the sky or the sea.”

  
“That’s amazing just like you!”

My eyes widen a bit and I look away, “Thank you…”

“No need, you deserve it.”

“Thank you.. I mean umm… I don’t usually get compliments, this is really weird. I’ve never actually even been on a..”   
Zeke cuts me off, stopping my rambling. “Why don’t you ask me another question?”

“Okay. If animals still lived in this world, what one would you want?”

“Definitely a Tiger. They seem dangerous and purely amazing.”   
“That’s super cool! I have always wanted a dog. I know it sounds really lame but, they are super loyal. Also, they will protect you with their life!”

“Your right, that is lame.” He chuckles a bit, a forced kind of chuckle.

I smile a bit, “Okay. Umm.. What is the most annoying habit to you?”

He looks at me and states, “Someone fidgeting with something. Like playing with a bracelet or twirling their hair.”

Immediately, I let go of my bracelet, “Oh.. I…”   
Before I can finish my sentence, the food comes. 

 

We eat in complete silence. I glance at him every once and a while, he is always staring at me. The silence isn’t really awkward, I just don’t like people staring at me. _ It’s only because I’ve never been on a date. Yeah, this is normal for a date. This happens to everyone! _ When we finish eating, we leave.

“I’ll walk you home, okay? I want to make sure nothing happens to you.” Zeke chimes, grabbing my hand tightly.

“Okay. Want to ask me some questions?”

“Sure. What is your favorite drink?”   
“I really like Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate! It is the best thing ever!”

“That’s really funny, mine is too! I like the peppermint a little better though.”

“Amazing!” I chuckle, happy someone agrees with me.

“Okay, what is your biggest wish?”

“Oh that’s easy, I really want to be happy. I don’t want to worry that something is going to go wrong all the time. I want to know it will and be okay with it.”

“Hmm.. Super weird. My wish is to rule the world! I want to be incharge of everyone.”

“That’s cool!” Finally my house comes into view, “You have enough time for one more question.”

He looks deep in thought, then inquires, “What are your parents like? I mean, I need to ask for their blessing to marry you!”   
My face goes white and I just want to curl into a ball. I clear my throat as tears fill my eyes, “They um.. died a while ago… in a umm.. car crash.”

We walk the rest of the way to the door without a word. 

“Well, bye then. Thank you for the date, I had a good time.”

“I will be here at 7 o’clock tomorrow okay?”

“Tomorrow? That soon?” My eyes feel like they are going to pop out of my head.

“Yes, we need to get to know each other better.”

“I’ll see you then!”

Quickly, I run into my house. The lights are off and there is a note on the counter that says,  _ Hey, sorry I couldn’t stay. My husband needed emotional support. Hope you had a good time though! -Your Favorite Guy _ . Axel is so amazing, he will be thrilled to find out I’m going again tomorrow.  _ I’ll tell him at work.  _ I go to the mirror to look at myself. Stroking my hair out of my face, I notice something on my inner arm. Getting closer to the mirror, I realize they are burns, shaped like fingertips. 

 

They sit exactly where Zeke gripped me. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The alarm on my clock goes off and I spring out of bed, excited to start the day.  _ I just want to get to my date!  _ Going through everything in merely 10 minutes, I know I won’t be late for work today. Sprinting out the door, I practically run to ‘Bingle’, excited to tell Axel about my date.

 

When I open the doors,  I almost run into Vincent.

While picking up papers, he mumbles, “I am so sorry! I didn’t see you there, this is completely my…” When he looks at me, he stops talking, hands me the papers and walks away. The excitement I had, wears off.

Before I can figure out what happened, Axel comes running at me. “So tell me everything that happened! I don’t want you to miss one detail. I’ve been running around all day telling people how proud I am!”

Hugging him makes me forget about Vincent… for the moment. 

“Okay, so we went on a date and we asked each other questions. It was so romantic and we are going on another one tonight! He is better than anything I could have dreamed of.” 

Axel gives me a knowing smirk, “It’s because you deserve this! Finally, the universe is righting all it’s wrongs. You’ll see how…. Um Val, what’s that?”

He points right at my burns, uncovered by me putting my hair in a ponytail. “Oh, um Zeke accidently grabbed me a bit too hard. It’s not a big deal! It happens to everyone.”

Axel grabs my arm, his eyebrows knitting together, “Not to soulmates. Val, are you okay? I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go on another date, alone. I have a bad feeling….”

Tearing my arm away, I laugh it off, “It’s fine! He let go of my arm right away and apologized. Zeke didn’t mean any harm. I promise, okay?”

“Okay but, I want you to be careful. If anything doesn’t sit right, let me know.”   
“Fine, can I work now?”

“Aww, quit being such a flirt.” 

 

For 5 weeks, this is how it goes. I go to work, Axel worries. Then, my date comes. It’s always romantic and amazing. Zeke doesn’t hurt me again and I start to fall in love. I think. Anyway, Vincent refuses to talk to me. I must have irritated him. Today is date 30 and I am still, not ready! 

 

Rushing around the house, I throw on a nice blouse and leggings.  _ Good thing I bought a bunch of nice clothes recently. _ I put my hair in a fast bun and then I hear Zeke.

 

Knock. Knock. Knock.

 

Those make me so happy. It’s the sound of something going right in my life. 

I open the door and Zeke gives me a hug around the waist, “Happy birthday, Val! 26 already? Your so old!” He boops my nose as he says this.

Pushing him away, I grab my coat, “Your 28, that makes you older!” 

“Yeah, yeah whatever.”

 

We get to the Dominique’s and order the same meals we always get. Still, the only thing I know from this menu. Talking like we usually do, we finish our meal faster. Zeke rushes us to my house, coming inside.

“Hey, why did we come home so fast?” 

“Oh, because I wanted to watch a movie tonight but, I have work tomorrow.”

“Okay!” Hanging my coat up, I bound to my movies and pick my favorite. “How do you feel about ‘The Princess Bride’? I know it’s old but it’s my favorite.”

Sitting on the couch, he murmurs, “Sounds good.”   
  


I start the movie and cuddle into Zeke. About halfway into the movie, he tilts my head up and kisses me for the first time. It makes me nervous and happy at the sametime. He goes in for another and another. He pushes me into the cushions, running his hands along my body. He bites my lip and I feel the metallic taste in my mouth. Pushing him off, I try to get up.

He pushes me down, whispering “Stay.” 

“My lip is bleeding, I need a tissue.”   
“It’s fine. Don’t ruin this moment.”

I go to talk but he covers my mouth with his, taking the words from me. Deciding to ignore it, I continue to kiss him. His hands are trailing down my waist and it takes me a second to notice that he’s pulling my pants. I attempt to push him off but, he doesn’t budge.

“Zeke, please get off of me. I am not ready to go this far.”

“Your fine, you know you want this.”

“No I…” He covers my mouth with his. 

 

My pants slip off, taking my panties with them. I try to get out from under him but he has me pinned by the arms. The pain in them is distracting me and Zeke won’t loosen his grip. As he rips his pants off in one urgent pull, I start to freak out. He whispers things, trying to calm me down but nothing helps. Fear is coursing in my veins and I can’t shake the sick feeling in me. I’m looking at the movie when everything starts turning black. The last thing I see is Wesley and Buttercup share a happy kiss. 

  
_ I wish I could have that. _


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

In the morning, my whole body hurts. For a little, I don’t remember anything. Unfortunately, they flood me. Filling my little empty places with horrible nightmares. I throw my eyes open and notice Zeke wrapped around me.  _ I need to get out of here. _ Carefully, I get out of Zeke’s hold and go to my room. 

The gold plated mirror Axel got me for my birthday is sitting there, ready to be used. I look in it and see all the burns running across my arms. My bottom lip is burned with a little scar next to it.  _ I need to go to work. _

 

I throw on my only long sleeved shirt with a turtle neck attached. The only burn I can’t cover is the one on my lips.  _ I can play it off as getting a little too rough. Yeah, that’s it. No one needs to know.  _

 

I’m almost out the door when I hear a voice behind me.

“Where do you think your going?”

Arms snake around my waist and I try my hardest not to flinch, “Umm, I uhh still have to work.”

“Okay, I’ll wait here then. Don’t be late or I’ll come find you!” Zeke chuckles darkly behind me.

“Yeah okay, I have to go now.” He begins trailing burning kisses up my neck and all I want to do is leave. Finally, I’m released and I bolt out the door.

 

On my way to work, the tears start coming. Or at least, I thought they would. My eyes well up but they just won’t fall. The tears that use to stain my face won’t come anymore. It’s worse than having tears. All I want is for them to come, proving I’m still okay. That it’s something that can be fixed but, I know it can’t. Deep down, I know. 

 

This is my final breaking point. 

 

I get to work and Axel is standing at the door. 

“Your late.”   
I hide my face from him, he doesn’t need to be a part of this. “I know, I’m really sorry. My alarm didn’t go off this morning.”

Axel’s face twists in worry. He seems to know something is off, “Yeah, It’s okay. No big deal just don’t do it again.”

“Yeah, I won’t be late anymore.”

 

Breaking away from Axel, I walk to my desk and start working. There isn’t many people in the office today, it is a weekend afterall. I usually wouldn’t be here but Axel said he needed me.  _ And I needed to get away.  _ Vincent walks by and I hide my face. Luckily, he hasn’t talked to me in a long time.  _ I wish someone would notice. _

 

_ Notice, I’m not okay. _

 

The day ends too fast.  _ I don’t want to go back to him.  _ If I don’t, he might hurt Axel. If that ever happened, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I get out the door without any problems. Right outside, a begger asks me for change and I give him some. 

 

I open my door and walk into my own home.  _ It feels more like a jail.  _ Zeke stands up, fist clenched tightly at his sides.

“Why were you late?” The anger in his voice tells me to tread carefully.

“Oh, no reason! A begger on the street asked me for some change.”

Zeke runs at me, grabs my neck and pins me against the door I just walked in. 

“You were with that AXEL weren’t you! Doing who knows what in the back?”   
I barely choke out, “No! He’s gay and has a soulmate!”

“Do you love me?” The fire burns in his eyes.

“Yes… I… love you. Let me down…”

“You brought this on yourself. You are the one who is a horrible person. God sent me to do this. He told me you needed repentance. No one would believe you if you told them. Nobody likes you, except for me. Just remember that.”

He lowers me and I suck air into my lungs.

“Get all the air you need. Your going to need it for tonight!”

With that, he drags me into the bedroom and I black out.

 

_ I wish one time, I wouldn’t wake up. _

 

The next morning, I do wake up. And the next. And the next. I wake up every morning with worse and worse burning. Zeke stopped letting me to go to work, keeping me prisoner in my own house. He gives me a collar. That way, I can be shocked when I misbehave. Eventually, I stopped eating, showering or brushing my hair. Zeke always tells me how pretty my hair is.  _ I hate it.  _ For 2 weeks this goes on. Axel calls all the time, getting me into more trouble.  _ I’m a slut. No one cares about me. He just wants my body.  _ The calls don’t bother me anymore. When Vincent calls, Zeke answers it. 

  
  
  


They talk for a while and then Zeke turns to me, hanging up the phone. 

“Vincent wants to see you. He’s my best friend so you will meet him at ‘The Hellish Frog’. If he tells me anything happened, things will be much worse. Remember, no one wants you.” 

 

He peels my collar off and I can see the discoloration under it. Zeke sees me peering into the mirror and pushes it over, shattering the glass. I’m not allowed to pick my own outfit, he has to do it. Zeke gives me work clothes, plain and boring. Looking at my face, he takes makeup out of a bag. 

“I bought this for you! I’ll put it on.” 

 

Coming at my face with makeup, he covers as many burns as he can. Unfortunately, I have too many. So many, no one would be able to tell it’s me. Finally, I’m allowed to leave. I can feel his eyes on me as I make my way to ‘The Hellish Frog’, the place this all started.

 

Vincent is waiting for me when I get there.

“Hello.” My voice is higher than I remember it.

“Umm, hello? Sorry, do I know you?” 

It doesn’t bother me,  “Oh, I’m Val. You asked to meet me?”

The color leaving his face worries me, “Val? That’s you? I thought you didn’t wear makeup? At least, that’s what Axel told me.”

  
“Yeah, I usually don’t. I decided to recently.” All my sentences are straightforward and short.

Vincent tries grabbing my chin but, I pull away.  _ He wants to get me in trouble.  _

“Don’t touch me, only Zeke can.”   
Hurt crosses his face, quickly fading, “Oh okay. Um, let’s go for a walk, okay?”

“No. Zeke said here, we have to stay here!” My voice cracks as I yell this.

His brow knits in worry, “Okay, that’s fine.”

 

We go in and I notice there isn’t as many people as there usually is. Vincent leads me to a table and Axel is sitting there.

“Hello… Val? Is that you?” Axel comes toward me and I shove him away.

“Don’t touch me! I shouldn’t even be talking to you. I was told to meet Vincent, not you.” I turn to Vincent, “Please don’t tell Zeke! I didn’t know he was going to be here.”  _ I don’t want to get in more trouble. No more shocks… please…. _

Vincent grabs my shoulders, “Hey, it’s okay! I won’t tell him. We just want to talk to you, okay?”

Breathing in and out, I calm down. “What did you want?”

Vincent lets go of my shoulders and sighs, “We want to know…”

Axel cuts him off, talking fast. “Why haven’t you been to work.”

 

This time, the color drains from MY face.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I sit on the opposite side of them while they await my answer. The truth is, I don’t know. Zeke told me I couldn’t go and I accepted that. I didn’t want more punishment. Deciding not to answer, I sit there looking down at the table. 

 

I feel a hand on mine and I flinch away. Axel is staring at me, his hand stuck in midair.

“Are you okay?”

No. “Yes.”

“Are you sure? I feel like something is wrong. Do you want me to talk to Zeke?”  
My eyes go wide, “No!” Before I know it, I’m on my feet. “Please, don’t talk to him! About anything…. Okay? Promise me you won’t.”

Axel exchanges a glance with Vincent, “Okay, I promise. So does Vincent.”

“No I…” Axel hits him in the throat, causing Vincent to wheeze.

Axel slowly reaches out and lays a hand on my shoulder, “We won’t even look at Zeke. As long as you start coming into work. If you miss work one more time, I will call the police, understand?”

My mind goes blank but, I still shake my head.

“Good. Now go home and be at work tomorrow. Got it?”

Shaking my head, I get up and leave ‘The Hellish Frog’. 

I can barely hear Vincent yelling at Axel, “Why did you let her go!?! You KNOW something is up just as much as me! We need to do something!”

 

I smirk, at least someone finally noticed.

 

Before I even open the door, I can feel the tension from inside. Walking in, I decide to tell him right away, “Vincent says that if I don’t go to work tomorrow, the police will be called.” Axel wasn’t there.

His fist clench, “What?”

“I have to go to work.” I get on my knees, head bowed. “I’m sorry.”

Zeke kneels down to my level, “You caused this!” As he walks around me, I hear the clicking of a belt. “You’ll just have to pay.” 

The sounds fill my ears before I even feel the belt. It burns horribly, opening scars I already have on my back. The blood starts rushing down and he keeps lashing me. Again. Again. Again. Maybe I’ll end the pain someday. They come one after another then, they stop. He grabs me and pulls me into the bedroom. Metal clamps around my neck and he chains me down to the nightstand.

“Go to sleep, you have work in the morning. Guess I have a job too.”

I instantly fall asleep, happy to get abide. Every hour I wake up to Zeke coughing. Finally, sleep invites me and I let it take me.

 

I’m woke up, thrown in the shower and dressed. Zeke brushes my hair for me, knowing I’ll do it wrong. I’m useless. When I go to leave, he follows me out the door.

“I’m coming with you, gotta make sure you don’t do anything.”

 

The walk there is silent and when we get there, Axel’s face lights up. Then, he sees Zeke. His face darkens and he disappears into the offices. I sit in my chair and Zeke is watching from across the room, making sure I don’t leave.

 

“Hey. You.” Vincent stabs a finger at Zeke, “What the hell do you think your doing here?!” The anger in his voice stings me.

“I’m watching my girlfriend work. The bigger question is why the hell do you care? Are you guys doing things I don’t know about?” 

“Why would we! She’s your soulmate!”

Zeke steps right in front of Vincent, trying to intimidate him.

Vincent sizes him up, “Let’s go outside.” 

 

As they walk out the door, I look out the window, watching them. They are exchanging punches about 15 feet away from the building. Vincent hooks his foot and pulls Zeke to the ground. He stands over Zeke for seconds before he is grabbed by the neck. Vincent is pinned against the wall and I can see him struggling to breath from here. Zeke lifts his fist to punch him and I can see the glimmer of something on his fists.

 

He has metal knuckles.

 

I’m sick with worry when the world tilts and sucks. It feels like I’m being compressed into a small box without air. Then, the pain hits me right in the forehead. I can feel a body behind me but the pain from whatever hit me hurts too much. Blood runs down my forehead and I realize that Zeke is in front of me. He’s sprinting away as fast as he can, anger riddling his features. 

 

I collapse to the ground and someone wraps their body around me. They bring me inside the building and lay me in a large office. It must be Axel’s. He always got the biggest office here. He always said “That’s not the only thing that’s big.” Suddenly, I start laughing deeply, then the pain starts again and I fall silent. Soon, darkness surrounds me and I welcome it like an old friend. It’s so quiet in here.

 

Maybe I can stay here forever.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm really sorry I haven't been posting as much but school has me struggling to post every day! I will be posting as often as I can and I won't let you down!

Chapter 9

I wake up with a start, my head throbbing. The whole time I was out, I replayed the scene in my mind.  _ How did it happen? How did I get from inside a building to being in front of Vincent in less than a second?  _ Before I can think too deeply, a voice comes from the side of me.

“Hey, are you awake?” 

Finally, I open my eyes. The light stings them, making me squint. “Yeah.”

“I’m glad you’re awake, I wasn’t sure if you were going to get up.”

When my eyes adjust to the lights, I notice that Vincent is really close to me. His hair is even messier than normal, showing he just woke up. “How long was I out?”

“About 3 hours.”

I sit straight up, “You didn’t think to bring me to the hospital?”

“Well we did but, they would have questions. If you hadn’t woken up in five hours we would have taken you!” He sounds apologetic and sarcastic.

I roll my eyes and stand up on my feet, “Guess it’s time to get back to work.”

 

Vincent stands up and grabs my hands, “Hey, thank you for taking that punch. I really owe you one but, can I ask you 2 questions?”

He gives me really big puppy dog eyes and I decide to bite, “Fine but, I get 3 questions.”

“Okay. First question, how did you get from inside a building to me so fast? I was a bit delirious but definitely not that much.”

Chewing on my bottom lip, I answer, “Actually, I’m not really sure. I just thought about how much I wanted to take the blow for you and then I was in front of you!”

His eyes seem to pop out of his head, “Okay, there must be some reason.” He recovers quickly, “Now, second question. Do you promise to answer truthfully?”

Suddenly, I’m nervous.  _ When people say that, usually I don’t like the next question. _ “Yes.”

Vincent takes a deep breath and fidgets with a ring he has on his pinky finger.  _ I never noticed that before.  _

“Did... “ Looking at me, he seems to decide something, “Are you okay?”

_ What was he going to ask?  _ “I’m doing okay. Us talking makes me happy but, Zeke and I have been having a bit of trouble.”  _ This is truthful, I’m just leaving some things out.  _

He glances at me, seeming to know I’m excluding something, “Hmm… Val, you know you can talk to me about anything right?”

I glance down and realize I’m still holding his hands, “Yes. Now, I need to start working before Axel demotes me to janitor! I’ll exchange my questions at a different time.” 

Breaking our hands apart, I walk out of the room and go to my office.

Unfortunately, I don’t get much more work done before Axel finds me.

“Come with me.” He doesn’t look happy, his eyes are dark and stormy. 

He leads me to a small room. The only light is produced by a small lamp on a desk, “Sit.”

I take one of the chairs and he sits across from me. If I didn’t know any better, I would say I’m being interrogated.

“This is an interrogation. You will answer my questions with honest answers. I know when you are lying so don’t try. First question, how’s your head?”

_ This isn’t as bad as I thought it would be… “ _ Oh.. umm, it’s fine. The throbbing has gone down and there is no swelling.” 

“That’s good. Vincent wanted to take you to the hospital but I thought it was a bad idea. Right now he isn’t talking to me.”

Starting to snicker, I look at his face which is turned into a pout, making me laugh harder. I’m wheezing by the time Axel decides to ask the next question.

“Second question, why haven’t you answered any of my calls?”

This cuts off my laughter immediately, “I’ve been busy.”

 

_ It’s not a lie. I HAVE been busy with Zeke, I just left out some things. _

Axel gives me a disapproving nod, he’s not buying it. “Okay, fine. Just don’t answer your best friends calls. I was worried and you were just ‘busy’. Anyway, I have one more question.”

I raise my eyebrow in a questioning look, “Okay, what is it?”

“Has Zeke been… uh… hurting you?”

 

I keep my features in check, something I learned to do with Zeke. “Nothing I don’t deserve! He’s really something amazing, no need to worry.”

Axel stands up and grabs my shoulders from across the desk, “Don’t lie to me Val. I can see it in your eyes, you're not the same anymore. He’s hurting you and you decide to sit there and do nothing? Not even tell me?” 

I can tell he’s hurt but I’m far too upset, “You don’t know ANYTHING. I deserve what I get and Zeke is not the problem, it’s me! Don’t talk about things you don’t understand. Also, quit telling me about how ‘I do nothing’. I CHOOSE to do nothing because I don’t need to. Just leave me alone.” 

Standing out of his grasp, I turn to leave. Before I get too far, Axel is standing in front of me, “I’m your best friend. Why don’t you tell me anything! Best friends tell each other everything, do you not trust me?”

The hurt in his eyes is overwhelming but, I have to get away, “We aren’t best friends. I don’t want to talk to you ever again.”

When I start to leave, he doesn’t hold me back. He just sits in the same position as I run out, trying to keep myself together.

 

As soon as I’m out of the room, the tears fall. They burn into my face like acid and make it hard to see. A figure is coming up to me and I just walk away but, it reaches out to me.

“Val, are you okay? What happened?” Knowing the voice is Vincent’s, I walk away. 

 

He chases after me as I break into a full sprint. Unfortunately, Vincent is gaining. I get all the way to the park, which is halfway to my house, before he catches me. 

“Hey! Why are you running?” Finally, he turns and looks into my eyes. He notices the tears on my cheeks and sits me down. We sit together on the ground and I turn away.

“Vincent, you can go. There is no point in you being here, I’ll just hurt you. Please, just…. Go.”

“No.” Grabbing my chin, he turns my face, “You are NEVER going to hurt me enough to get rid of me. I’m here for you always. Whatever is happening, you will get through it. Don’t doubt yourself, okay?”   
  


The tears are coming harder now and I nod a little. 

“Great. Now, you should stay at my house.”

Suddenly, my thoughts are slammed back into the present and I pull away. “No. I can’t. Zeke will hurt you and I don’t want that.”   
Vincent leans closer, “No he won’t, I’m his friend remember? Nothing will happen.”   
I’m up and starting to walk away, “You guys fought, he wants to hurt you, I know it. Please, don’t make me do this. I can’t stand seeing more of my friends hurt.”

He comes forward and grabs my shoulders, “Hey, he doesn’t even know where I live. Besides, we are still friends. If you come with me, he won’t be mad. Zeke needs to cool off and the best way is through sleep.”

My mind is racing a thousand miles per minute but his hands on my shoulders convince me to listen. “Okay. We have to be really careful though. I don’t want to see you hurt. Can we go straight there?”   
  


Vincent grabs my hand and leads me in the opposite direction of my house, “Sure, we can be there in 5 minutes.”

I walk with him and start feeling a little better about all this.

“Oh, by the way, Ella will be there.”

My face obviously betrays me because he answers my question before I ask it, “She’s my little sister.”

My chest constricts and all the calm I was feeling is gone.

 

_ What if Zeke hurts her? _


End file.
